Switch and signal control system for railroads



June 10, 1941.

N. D. PRESTON ETAL ,08

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June 10, 1941.. N, D. PRESTON ETAL 2,245,082

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SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAIL-ROADS Filed April 9, 1940 19 Sheets-Sheet 9 CANCEL BUS ENTRANCE PICK UP BUS TYPICA LLY I I M T0 LEVER I I wz CONTACTS SHOWN IN F162.

. I I I 415wz r Q INVENTORS ND BresTon and Eli HiTchcock THEIR ATTORNEY Jame 1Q, 1941,

N. D. PRESTON ET AL SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Filed April 9. 1940 l9 Sheets-Sheet l0 um: muzd INVENTORS NDPresTon and FDHiTchcock BY WM. M THEIR ATTORNEY June 10, 1941. PRESTON ETAL 2,245,082

SWITCH AND SIGNAU CONTROL SYSTEM FOR 'RAILROADS Filed April 9, 1940 19 Sheets-Sheet 11 CPB 2 lLl INVENTORS FRWZZJ FhHiTchcock.

THEIR ATTORNEY June 10, 1941. N. D. PRESTON ETAL 2,245,082

SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Filed April 9, 1940 19 Sheets-Sheet 13 FIG. 9.13.

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June 10, 1941. N. D. PRESTON ETAL 2,245,082

SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Filed April 9, 1940 19 Sheets-Sheet l6 INVENTORS hglapres'ro and FBHlTchcock THEIR ATTORI'VEY June 10, 1941. N. D. PRESTON ETAL SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS FiledApril 9, 1940 19 Sheets-Sheet 1'7 NDP 1I NVENTORS res on and FBHiTchcock THEIR ATTORNEY June 10, 1941. N. D. PRESTON ETAL SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Filed April 9, 1940 19 Sheets-Sheet 18 INVENTOYRS A NDPresTonAagi FBHflchcock v BY,

THEIR ATTORNEY June 10, 1941. N. D. PRESTON ET AL SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Filed April 9, 1940 19 Sheets-Sheet l9 mtzuwzu xmozkmz INVENTORS NDPresTon and FB.HiTchcock THEIR ATTORNEY Patented June 10, 1941 UNITED STATES OFFICE SWITCH AND SIGNAL CONTROL SYSTEM FOR RAILROHDS Application April 9, 1940, Serial No. 328,712

35 Claims. (Qt 246-134) This invention relates to switch and signal control systems for railroads, and it more particularly pertains to a system where the manipulations by an operator are of the entrance-exit type for controlling the power operation of track switches and the indications of the signals of a track layout.

In the system of the entrance-exit type, it is preferable that a control panel be provided with a miniature track diagram located thereon with suitable control buttons, or the like, at points on the track diagram corresponding to the signal cations constituting the entrance and/or exit ends of the various routes. The desired operation of the various track switches to the positions required to set up the various routes through the track layout and the clearing of the signals is accomplished by actuating these manually operable buttons without individually controlling the several track switches involved.

More specifically, the operator may position all of the switches for a desired route and eiiect the clearing of a signal for train movement in one direction or the other over that route by merely operating a button belonging to the entrance end of the desired route followed by the actuation of a button at the exit end of that route. Such manipulation on the part of the operator causes the organization of relays and circuits toautomatically effect the operation of all the track switches or cross-overs involved to proper positions to set up the desired route after which the signal at the entrance end of the route is cleared.

A switch and signal control system of this entrance-exit type is disclosed, for example, in the prior application of A. Langdon, Ser. No. 119,641, filed January 8, 1937; in the prior application of N. D. Preston, Ser. No. 183,499 filed January 5 1938; and also in the prior application of N. B. Coley, Ser. No. 272,319 filed May 8, 1939. The present invention is in the nature of an improvement in the means employed for accomplishing the desired functions and results in such a type of system; and no claim is made herein to anything disclosed in such prior applications.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved organization of relays and circuits in a system of the entrance-exit type in which a single self-restoring control button is all that is needed for each signallocation constituting the entrance and/or exit point for a route or routes emanating from or converging at that point. The same button acts at different times to designate its point as an entrance point or an exit point. as the case may be, dependent upon the sequence with which it is actuated with respect to some other button, and thereby governs the direction of train movement over the given route as determined by this sequence or order.

This feature of the present invention is in general accomplished by what has been conveniently termed a bus interlock arrangement which provides that the first button actuated performs the function of an entrance button and at the same time renders all other buttons ineffective to act as entrance buttons until a second button is actuated for the exit end of an available route emanating from the point corresponding to the first button actuated, which second button performs the function of an exit button, whereupon the bus interlock arrangement is restored to its normal condition ready for the next sequential actuation of two buttons belonging to the entrance and exit ends of an available route.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved route establishing means using a minimum number of relays and governed by single control buttons located at the ends of the routes. This route establishing circuit means according to the present invention comprises a normal and a reverse switch control relay for each track switch, except in the case of a cross over where the opposite ends of the cross-over are operated together, in which case both track switches have a common reverse relay. In other words, two relays are employed for each single switch and three relays are employed for each crossover.

These normal and reverse switch control relays are so included in the circuits of the route establishing means that the designation of any given signal location as an entrance point causes the switches in each of the available routes emanating from that point to be preselected by energizing selected switch control relays. and the designation of the exit end of a given one of such available routes completes the energization of the switch control relays for any remaining track switches in that route and causes that given route to be established and the signal at the entrance end to be cleared.

In a system of this character, where the desig. nation of an entering signal location preselects the positions of those switches in all the various available routes originating at such entrance point, it is essential that such manipulation for an entrance point be directly followed by the designation of the exit end of a particular one of those available routes before another entrance signal location is designated. Otherwise, the des- 

